Sun visor for motor vehicles



April 10, 1951 R. s. non lrrmsxsv :s1-Al.

lSUN VISOR FOR MOTOR VEHICLES 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb. 4, 1948 IZog S. Rounh'e Max D. Moeller April 10 1951 R. s. ROUNTREE E-rAL 2,548,068

SUN vIsoR FOR MOTOR VEHICLES 2 SheetsSheet 2 wywm Bog 8. Rountree ax D. Moeller,

@tkt l Filed Feb. 4, 1948 Patented Apr. 10, 1951 UNITED Y STATES PATENT OFFICE 'Y 12,548,068 "SUN vlsoRFoR Moron VEHICLES Roy 4SjRountree and Max D. Moeller, Miami, Fla.

.Applicationlilebruary 4, 1948, Serial No. 6,198

(ol. 29e-95:)

'2 Claims. 1 i v L'Ihe .invention relates to la sun 'visor for `motor vehicles.

The sun visor to which .the invention has particular application is of 'the type which may be detachably .secured to lthe windshield framing structure of an automobile to shield the eyes of the driver and `passengers thereof Vfrom the glare of the sun, vbut the invention vis not limited within the purview Vthereof to va vehicle of .any specific model or style.

.An robject of the invention .is to `provide a sun visor which will `be simple `in Vconstruction .and eflicient in operation. i

.Another object `of vthe finvention is to provide a sun visor which may -be readily :attached to and detached from the body-structure of a vehicle. 4

yA Vfurther object is .to prov-ide an accessory of the character described which will be pleasing in appearance and harmonize readily with the body lines of the vehicle to which the visor is applied.

Still another object is to provide a sun visor which may be conveniently adjusted to the defsired inclination thereof in relation to the windshield.

Other advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description thereof hereinafter set forth.

According to the invention, the sunvisor ernbodies a flat, transparent and glare-dissipating .panel assembly adapted for attachment to the windshield framing structure and inclinable in relation thereto. The visor is turned at the outer ends thereof -to provide wing portions whereby to deflect glare impinging upon the visor at angles to the directionof travel of the vehicle.

The visor is carried at the ends thereof by brackets which are seated within the rain gutter troughs of the vehicle and adiustable thereto, and by a central auxiliary Ibr'acllzet arranged on the under side of the visor at the mid portion thereof fand sec-ured fto the windshield .oen-ter post, whereiby to provide a stable supportingstructurefor the Avisor assembly. I

The invention is embodied einfarsun visor exemplified 'in `'the accompanying drawings, in which' "the views fare as follows, `like reference numerals referring to identical Aparts throu'ghout'the several views: v

Fig. 1, a perspective of the sun visor as applied to a conventional automobile;

Fig. 2, a plan of the visor panel, in part;

Fig. 3, a sectional elevation taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 4 of a visor bracket assembly;

Fig. 4, an elevation of a visor bracket as car- 2 ried by fthe rain gutterof the vehicle, 'taken from line 4 4 of Fig. 3;` v

Fig. "5, a plan of'th'e assembly bolt head Vfor clamping the visor to the bracket structure;

Fig. 6, an elevation of the `bracket supporting post;

Fig. '7, a side elevation showing the auxiliary bracket with a portion of the visor cut away;

Fig. 8, a partial sectional `elevation taken through another embodiment of the bracket fas-V tening assembly; n

Fig. `9, a partial sectional elevation taken through another modification of the bracket assembly.

The sun visor is formed of a pair of flat panels, 'I and 2 (Fig. l), the inner ends of which meet in substantially mitered, endwise angular relation, vin 'which they are secured by an overlying connecting vstrip 3, Yfastened thereto in any suitable manner (not shown). The `angular relation of the visor panels Ais preferably designed to parallel, substantially, the corresponding angularity of the windshield .panels 5 and 6, to afford the maxi mum glare protection thereto. Y

The visor panels are formed o'f a suitable transparent andl glare-dissipating material having non-shattering characteristics, such, for example, as fPl'exiglas y At the outer ends thereof, the panels l and 2, are curved downwardly to form terminal wing portions 4, I'whereby to extend the protective area of the visor 'to shield the occupants of the vehicle from rays impinging thereon atangles oblique to the direction -of travel. The wings 4 dene a curve, the `axis of which lies longitudinally of the vehicle, `thereloy disposing the wing portions of the .visor [so as :to oiTer the minimum wind resistance. The curvature of the wings may be developed from -a line of curvature, as the line l (Fig. 2), lying parallel to the longitudinal axis of thevehicle, the terminal portions of the panels being represented, before bending, by the dotted arc f8.-

Y `:At the outer ends thereof, the sun visor is carried lbysa `pair of visor brackets, shown generally at Eil tlilig. l), which are associated with the rain thereof to be received by the rain gutter I so as to seat against the trough I4 thereof. The post has an arcuate bottom edge I5 to facilitate the seating thereof against arcuate portions of the rain gutter. A gutter clamp I6, formed to engage the outer wall of the gutter, has a pair of screw fastenings II, tightened by nuts I8, to secure the bracket assembly against slidable movement along the trough I4.

The posts I3 carry a visor clamp (Fig. 3). consisting of a pair of cushioning washers I9, between which are gripped theI wings 4, the washer' assembly being held on the inner side by a closer ring 20, and on the outer side by the upper portion of the oost I3. The visor clamp is tightened by a bolt 2|. having a concave-convex circular head 22, and secured by a cap nut 23. A filler ring 24 is interposed between the head 22 and post I3. Y YBy this construction, when the vehicle is under way, wind pressure acting upon the lun visor develops stresses therein which are directli7 transmitted to the trough I4 of the rain gutter I0, thereby eliminating the tendency toward distortion of the gutter contour through employment of the outer wall of the gutter to receive load imposed by the sun visor. The trough I4 thus functions as a seat against which the post I3 may bear directly to transmit thereto the Wind stresses generated in the sun visor, the gutter clamp I6 functioning merely to engage the gutter structure sumciently to resist slideable movement of the bracket assembly along the rain gutter.

In the embodiment of the gutter clamp shown in Fig. 8. the clamp IBa is provided with an inwardly directed flange 25 along the top edge thereof, to engage the post I3a in clamping relation, this form being adapted to a gutter wall of relatively upright design.

A further modification of the gutter clamp assembly is shown in Fig. 9, wherein the post I3b may be bent inwardly near the bottom thereof for adaptation to gutter contours and vehicle body widths of various shapes and dimensions. This embodiment may have a filler washer 21 interposed between the gutter clamp and the post to effect the parallel clamping alinement of these members.

The invention is thus seen to provide a sun visor for motor vehicles which is simple in arrangement and pleasing in appearance. The construction of the gutter clamp assembly permits the visor brackets to be readily attached to the rain gutter without the drilling thereof and without imposing undue strain upon the outer wall of the gutter structure. The gutter trough is thusutilized to seat the visor and to receive the stresses developed therein by wind pressure exerted thereon.

The construction of the visor brackets further permits the selective adjustment of the visor at a convenient angle in relation to the windshield, and facilitates the positioning of the device along the rain ,gutter so as to provide a suitable space between the rearmost edge of the visor and the roof of the vehicle whereby to form a discharge outlet for the escape of air passing on the under side of the visor during the forward travel of the vehicle.

The inclination of the wing portions 4, along an axis paralleling the longitudinal dimension of the vehicle disposes the wings along the direction of travel of the vehicle, thereby reducing the wind resistance of the visor.

The assembly of the visor into two panels permits the replacement of one of the panels in the event of damage thereto without requiring the replacement of the entire panel assembly, facilitating, at the same time, the alinement of the visor panels with the angularity of the windshield panels.

Of course, the invention is susceptible of various modifications and changes without departing from the scope thereof, as hereinafter claimed. We claim:

1. A bracket for the support of an automobile sun visor having a downwardly inclined wing portion at each end thereof, comprising, in combination with the rain gutter of said automobile', a post terminating along the bottom thereof in a concave arcuate edge adapted to seat within said gutter and thereagainst, a gutter clamp engageable with said gutter and secured to said post, a visor clamp formed at the upper end of said post and comprising a pair of inner cushioning washers abutting said post against the inner face thereof and adapted to embrace said wing portion therebetween, a concavo-convex head adapted to bear against said post on the outer face thereof, and means to secure said clamp in gripping relation with said wing portion and said post.

2. A bracket for the support of an automobile sun visor having a downwardly inclined wing portion at each end thereof, comprising, in combination with the rain gutter of said automobile, a post terminating along the bottom thereof in a concave arcuate edge adapted to seat within said gutter and thereagainst, a gutter clamp engageable with said gutter and secured to said post, a visor clampy formed at the upper end of said post and comprising a pair of inner cushioning washers abutting said post against the inner face thereof and adapted to embrace said wing portion therebetween, and a through bolt fastening adapted to secure said wing portion in gripping relation with said post and including a concavoconvex outer head in abutting relation with said post against the outer face thereof.

ROY S. ROUNTREE. MAX D. MOELLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,615,078 Grisby Jan. 18, 1927 1,644,662 Anderson Oct. 1l, 1927 2,180,909 Peckat Nov. 21, 1939 2,253,353 Sharp Aug. 19, 1941 2.334,856 Atkinson Nov. 23, 1943 2.447,246 Groboski et al Aug. 17, 1948 2,500,406 Greenfield Mar. 14, 1950 

